The present invention relates to helmets, and in particular to helmets adaptable to different situations.
In the rescue services there are various levels of protection needed depending on the situation personnel are likely to find themselves.
Thus firefighters need maximum protection against impacts to the head coming from both above and to the sides and from behind the head. They also need effective all-round flame and heat protection.
On the other hand, paramedics need less protection, on the whole, when entering a fire or accident situation to treat a victim. It is not likely that they will expose themselves to the same risks as firefighters because it is not their role to bring fires under control. They are not interfering with building structures, at least not to the same extent as firefighters. Moreover, they need all their senses, including hearing to treat patients effectively.
Finally, in mountain rescue, the helmet is primarily to protect against falls (rather than against falling object impacts) and the operator is often exerting more physical effort. Thus different levels of protection, and ventilation, are again required.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,980 discloses a firefighter helmet having an integral adjustable fire-resistant ear flap and hood. U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,297 discloses a helmet constructed from a number of components. GB-A-2361408 discloses a motorcycle helmet constructed from component parts that clip together. DE-A-3214020 and GB-A-2175490 both show a modular crash helmet comprising a base helmet and various components that can be added to configure the helmet in different ways, for example by the addition of a ring element to convert the helmet from open-face to full-face protection.
Presently commercially available helmets permit attachment of various items such as head lamps, cameras, visors etc.